


I'll wander mazily over all the earth

by Port_in_a_Storm



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Appeals to the shameless romantic in me, Canon Compliant, Gentle Sex, M/M, Set after SSW, So many confessions of love, True Love, careful sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-24
Updated: 2016-11-24
Packaged: 2018-09-01 22:51:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8641264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Port_in_a_Storm/pseuds/Port_in_a_Storm
Summary: "They were alive. They were alive and in love and were going to be married, and Aaron felt Robert grab his left hand and their rings met and clinked, and then the tears were falling."They had got engaged in the hospital, and they were in love and alive, and finally home.Based on a tumblr prompt





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! This story is based on a tumblr prompt: "since we didn’t actually get Aaron’s coming home scene (smh) how about a nice story when Roberts brings Aaron home and Aaron is feeling horny but Robert is too concerned for his health but eventually he gives in (obviously) and takes care of Aaron gently and lovingly - but good." This turned out a lot more romantic than the prompt probably needed to be!
> 
> Happy reading :)

Robert opened the passenger door for Aaron, who rolled his eyes at his fiancé. When Robert went as far as to hold his hand out for him to help Aaron out of the car, Aaron batted him away. ‘I’m not fuckin’ 80, Robert!’

The older man frowned. ‘I just want to help you! C’mere, you’re gonna hurt yourself.’

‘No I’m not. Just… look, just let me, alright.’

Robert stepped back and his face dropped. Aaron immediately felt terrible. Robert had been in and out of the hospital over the past few days, bringing Aaron anything he desired, and being there whenever he needed him. He hadn’t lost the bags under his eyes yet, and nor had he lost the haunted look to them either. Aaron got out of the car and raised his hand to Robert’s cheek, running his thumb across it gently. ‘Sorry, Darlin’. I didn’t mean to snap. It’s just—’ he looked over his shoulder at the back door of the pub. ‘We’re home now, and I—I dunno, I don’t want all of you fussin’ over me.’

‘Yeah, well… this is me, Aaron. I’m _allowed_ to fuss over you.’ _Because I watched you trapped and panicking in that car, because I had to wait for you in that hospital thinking the worst, because I heard you flatline_. It all went unsaid, but the implication was there. Aaron shifted his hand from Robert’s cheek to the back of his neck, pulling him in and kissing him. Robert leant his forehead against Aaron’s when their lips parted, still maintaining that physical contact. Aaron shifted his hand around to his boyfriend’s cheek again, and the sunlight caught his ring just right.

‘We’re engaged,’ Aaron breathed. He couldn’t stop the smile from spreading on his lips. It was immediately answered by Robert’s own. ‘Can’t believe we’ve come this far.’

‘Neither can I, Baby.’ He pecked Aaron gently on the lips again. ‘Come on. Let’s get you upstairs. You need your rest.’

Aaron held him back and cleared his throat. ‘Or… we could… celebrate our engagement?’

The hopeful look and the slight arch to his eyebrow told Robert that he didn’t mean drinks with the family. He smiled a little and shook his head. ‘No, not right now. You’re still recovering.’

‘Yeah, but I’ve been sent home. So I’m not that bad anymore.’

‘Aaron, you’re meant to be taking care of yourself.’

‘And I’m asking _you_ to… take care of me.’ Again that arch of the eyebrow and usually Robert would be powerless to refuse, but usually Aaron hadn’t returned from the hospital with a lacerated liver, stinking of antiseptic, his face drawn with pain and exhaustion, and his hands clenching and unclenching with nerves and returning unpleasant memories.

He nodded his head at the door. ‘Inside. Go on. I’ll get your bag.’ Aaron huffed but did as he was told, and Robert watched him walk gingerly to the back door. It wasn’t that Robert didn’t want to celebrate their engagement properly; he wanted nothing more. This wasn’t the way he envisioned the day of the proposal to go. If Lachlan hadn’t intervened, Robert and Aaron would be curled up in bed right now, sweaty, exhausted and extraordinarily in love. They were extraordinarily in love, and exhausted, but for all the wrong reasons. Shaking himself free of the thought before they could turn into memories, Robert grabbed Aaron’s bag and followed his fiancé into the pub.

Aaron was making his careful way upstairs, stopping every now and then and wincing on every third step. When he heard Robert behind him, he held up a hand. ‘I don’t want to hear any “I told you so”s, or “how am I supposed to fuck you when I can’t even get upstairs”, alright?’

‘Wouldn’t dream of it,’ Robert said. He put a helping hand on Aaron’s elbow and was pleased when his lover didn’t shrug him off. ‘Take it slow, alright? There’s no rush.’

Aaron sighed. ‘Wish you were sayin’ that to me in bed.’

Robert chuckled. ‘Let it go. It’s not happening today.’

‘What, not even if I beg?’

‘Nope. Even then.’

‘Wow. Don’t think I’ve ever seen you this adamant not to have sex before.’

‘The things I do for you, eh?’

That brought the memories shuddering to the front of his mind again, and he fell silent. Aaron stopped walking and turned to face him. He was two steps ahead of him, so loomed over him slightly. ‘I know what you’d do for me,’ Aaron said. He cupped Robert’s face again and stroked his thumbs over his full, pink lips. ‘But I won’t have you dyin’ with me or for me, Robert. So when I tell you to go, you go.’

Robert shook his head. ‘No,’ he answered simply. He raised himself to his toes and kissed Aaron, slowly and tenderly and full of love. 

****

Aaron collapsed on to the bed as soon as they walked into their room. He breathed out a massive sigh of relief. ‘Feels so good to be back here,’ he said. He watched Robert unzip the bag and unpack the few toiletry items that he had brought with him for Aaron. He was going to be married to this man. The thought still overwhelmed him. The ring felt foreign around his finger, but it was something he’d have the rest of his life to get used to. He couldn’t stand being here, so close to Robert and not having him. 

‘Robert,’ he murmured. His boyfriend stopped what he was doing and looked at him immediately. ‘Come here,’ he said, holding out his hands. Robert went to him, and Aaron grasped the man’s open jacket in his desperate hands, brought him closer to him and kissed him. Robert responded instantly and Aaron hummed his approval against his lips. ‘Please,’ he whispered. ‘I need you, Robert. I want you so much.’

His boyfriend seemed to have an internal argument for a moment, but didn’t once take his eyes from Aaron’s. ‘I don’t want to hurt you,’ he said.

‘You won’t. Just… be careful with me.’

Robert closed his eyes. ‘God, Aaron… I can’t resist you, you know I can’t.’

‘I know. It’s what got us here after all.’ He grinned at Robert and pecked him on the lips again. ‘Seriously, we can’t not have sex after we got engaged just days ago.’

The older man laughed and straightened his back. He ran his hands through his hair, spiking it up even more, and looked down at Aaron with an expression of such intense adoration that Aaron’s breath caught in his chest. ‘The minute you start feeling any pain, we’ll stop. Okay?’

‘Yeah, okay.’ Aaron unbuttoned his jeans first, too afraid to reach and pull his shirt off because he knew it’d hurt.

‘I mean it, Aaron. No joking about this, alright?’

He stopped and caught Robert’s gaze again, his unwavering, loving, considerate gaze. He felt overwhelmed by this man. He clenched the bottom of Robert’s shirt in his hands. ‘Okay.’ Then he bit his lip. ‘Could you… help me with my shirt though?’

It took so much longer than it usually would to undress, even longer than on the nights that they wanted to tease each other. Robert was careful with Aaron; stupidly careful, but the younger man didn’t complain. Eventually they were both naked, and Aaron was lying on his back, Robert beside him, leaning over him to kiss him. He carded his hands through Robert’s blond hair and moaned softly. Robert responded by stroking his hand down Aaron’s torso, his thumb purposely brushing each scar on the way to his cock.

‘I can’t lose you, Baby,’ he whispered. ‘I meant what I told you: I would’ve stayed with you, no matter what.’

Aaron shook his head. ‘Don’t… I can’t think about you… no… just don’t alright?’

Robert’s Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed, as if he too, were afraid of what he’d do for Aaron. ‘I love you. _So much_.’ Without waiting for a response, Robert kissed him again. ‘Turn on your side,’ he said softly. 

Aaron went without hesitation. Even though he wanted to see Robert’s face, he knew that this was the best position for him. He grabbed his fiancé’s hand – the left one, he saw with joy – and kissed his palm, the back of his hand, his fingers, and pressed his lips to the silver ring there. _Forever_ he reminded himself. It wasn’t going to be easy, and god knows one or both of them would mess up, but he knew that they loved each other. That would never change.

Robert kissed the back of his neck, nuzzling his nose into Aaron’s short hair. Aaron chuckled when his breath gushed across his neck and caused a tickling sensation. ‘Alright?’ Robert asked.

‘Mm. Ticklish.’

The older man smiled and pressed a final kiss on Aaron’s neck, then took his hand back and swept it down Aaron’s back, to his arse. He reached behind him, blindly opening the drawer and feeling around for the lube they kept there, the whole time kissing Aaron’s shoulder. Once his fingers were coated, he returned them to his lover’s backside. ‘Still okay?’

‘Yeah,’ Aaron said immediately. ‘Don’t stop. I’m fine.’

It was slow and wonderful. Aaron felt everything: the way that Robert opened him so thoroughly and slowly, the way that he kissed his shoulder, drawing little circles on his skin with his tongue; felt the way that his breath dried the places he had kissed. He felt heat pool in his stomach, and reached a hand back, feeling for Robert’s wrist, not pulling him away, but feeling the clench in his muscles as he moved his hand back and forth, stretching him.

‘Now,’ he said, and felt Robert’s fingers leave him. He whimpered, and Robert froze. ‘No, carry on. I’m fine.’ A bit more movement and the unmistakable sound of lube on Robert’s cock, and Aaron held his breath, waiting and waiting.

‘Breathe, Baby,’ Robert murmured into his ear. Aaron did, his lungs filling, and at the same time Robert nudged against his hole and Aaron moaned.

‘Yes,’ he hissed. ‘Robert. God.’

He felt the smirk against his neck, and was ready for Robert’s retort of _‘If you like’_ but none came. Instead, Robert kissed his shoulder again, and Aaron felt his lips moving as he mouthed something against his skin, then said ‘I love you’ against his ear, and Aaron felt tears in his eyes. Robert waited for Aaron to relax around him before he started to move: slow, steady, measured thrusts, aimed just right to make his fiancé moan and whimper. 

They were alive. They were alive and in love and were going to be married, and Aaron felt Robert grab his left hand and their rings met and clinked, and then the tears were falling. ‘I love you,’ he whimpered. ‘I love you.’ He didn’t know how many times he said it, or how many times Robert repeated it, but his voice was hoarse by the time he felt his orgasm creeping up on him, about to shift the world on its axes. He turned his head at the same time that Robert leaned over, and their lips met in a kiss. Aaron moaned into his lover’s mouth and seconds later, he spilled onto the duvet. He shook and gasped through his orgasm, and Robert held him close.

‘That’s it. It’s okay, Baby, it’s okay.’

Aaron realised that he was crying; that there were tears and sobs, and he turned his head to kiss Robert again, but got his cheek instead and tasted salt. His eyes opened, and he saw tears on Robert’s face. ‘You okay?’

Robert nodded. He hadn’t come yet, and he kept up with his slow, steady movements. ‘I love you,’ he said, whispered, pleaded, vowed. ‘I love you.’ And Aaron watched him as his eyes closed, as he bit his lip, as his body stiffened then shook, and as he gasped his way through a trembling orgasm. 

After, Robert didn’t move. His breaths came unevenly and erupted onto Aaron’s shoulder. Their hands were still joined. He kissed Robert’s forehead, his eyelids, his cheekbones. The older man shifted and pulled out of Aaron, hissing as he did so. ‘Okay?’ he asked.

Aaron nodded. He knew Robert was talking about his liver, about his new scar, about the many thoughts and memories that were undoubtedly running through his head and would probably stop him from sleeping tonight. But here, right now, in bed with his fiancé; the man he was going to spend the rest of his life with… all was well.

**Author's Note:**

> Come have a nosy on tumblr!: [Port in a Storm](http://www.portinastorm.tumblr.com)
> 
> The title is a line from the poem 'Don't go far off' by Pablo Neruda


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